Display device having a scanning circuit disposed along an edge of a substrate and scan lines connected to the scanning circuit

Abstract

A display device may include a substrate; a plurality of signal lines on the substrate; a plurality of scan lines on the substrate, the scan lines crossing the signal lines; and a plurality of thin film transistors at crossing positions of the scan lines and the signal lines. The scan lines include some first scan lines and some second scan lines. Each of the second scan lines has an end connected to a load element.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display device comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a plurality of signal lines on the substrate; 
 a plurality of scan lines on the substrate, the scan lines crossing the signal lines; 
 a plurality of thin film transistors at crossing positions of the scan lines and the signal lines; 
 a scanning, circuit disposed along an edge of the substrate; and 
 load elements, 
 wherein 
 the scan lines include some first scan lines and some second scan lines, 
 the first scan lines are connected to the scanning circuit, 
 one end of each of the second scan lines is connected to the scanning circuit, 
 lengths of the first scan lines are greater than lengths of the second scan lines, 
 each of the load elements is connected to a corresponding one of the second scan lines at another end opposite to the one end to which the scanning circuit is connected, and 
 none of the load elements is connected to the first scan lines. 
 
     
     
       2. The display device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first scan lines are adjacent to the second scan lines, and 
 the substrate has a cutout portion at a position next to the second scan lines in an extending direction thereof, 
 the load elements are arranged along an end of the cutout portion. 
 
     
     
       3. The display device according to  claim 2 , wherein each of the load elements comprises some field-effect elements. 
     
     
       4. The display device according to  claim 3 , wherein the corresponding one of the second scan lines closer to the first scan lines is connected to the field-effect elements in greater numbers. 
     
     
       5. The display device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the plurality of scan lines include some third scan lines, 
 the third scan lines extend in a direction toward the cutout portion, 
 the second scan lines lie between the first scan lines and the third scan lines, 
 the third scan lines have respective one ends connected to the scanning circuit, and 
 the third scan lines have respective other ends connected to other load elements arranged along the end of the cutout portion. 
 
     
     
       6. The display device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the substrate has a display area and a non-display area, 
 the load elements, which are connected to the second scan lines, lie in the non-display area between the cutout portion and the display area, and 
 the other load elements, which are connected to the third scan lines, lie in the non-display area between the cutout portion and the display area. 
 
     
     
       7. The display device according to  claim 6 , wherein the load elements connected to the corresponding one of the second scan lines comprises some field-effect elements. 
     
     
       8. The display device according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the second scan lines has a bent portion in the non-display area, the bent portion having a part extending parallel to the signal lines. 
     
     
       9. The display device according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the load elements connected to the corresponding one of the second scan lines is some thin film transistors, each of which includes a semiconductor layer and a conducting layer. 
     
     
       10. The display device according to  claim 9 , wherein
 each of the other load elements connected to a corresponding one of the third scan lines includes a semiconductor layer or a conducting layer, which overlaps with the corresponding one of the third scan lines with an insulation film interposed therebetween, and 
 the other load elements connected to the third scan lines are equal in shape. 
 
     
     
       11. The display device according to  claim 10 , wherein the semiconductor layer and the conducting layer included in the load elements connected to the second scan lines are formed in the same layers as the semiconductor layer and the conducting layer included in the other load elements connected to the third scan lines. 
     
     
       12. The display device according to  claim 5 , wherein the second and third scan lines in a display area are half or less than half as long as the first scan lines in the display area. 
     
     
       13. The display device according to  claim 5 , further comprising a black matrix layer, which overlaps with the load elements connected to the second scan lines and the other load elements connected to the third scan lines. 
     
     
       14. The display device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the substrate has a substantially rectangular shape with four sides, 
 the four sides include one side from which the cutout portion is formed to be bent, 
 the four sides include opposite two sides where the cutout portion is not formed, and 
 the scanning circuit is formed along each of the opposite two sides of the four sides where the cutout is not formed. 
 
     
     
       15. The display device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 each of the first scan lines at both ends is connected to the scanning circuit, and 
 the third scan lines at only the respective one ends are connected to the scanning circuit.